<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Relay — To Receive and Pass On by sea_level</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26031355">Relay — To Receive and Pass On</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sea_level/pseuds/sea_level'>sea_level</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Forever (TV 2014), Torchwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(please use custom formatting to see this correctly!), (so like actual scientific cloning and not hand-wavey sci-fi cloning), Crossover, Gen, Immortality, Jo and Lucas know Henry is immortal, Owen is Adam's Clone, SCNT/Reproductive Cloning, Voicemails and Texting, Wordcount: 2.500-3.000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:35:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,768</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26031355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sea_level/pseuds/sea_level</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>1. Adam clones himself and then leaves the immortal baby with Jack.<br/>2. A series of updates on Owen from Jack to Adam.<br/>3. Henry finds out about Owen.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adam (Forever) &amp; Jack Harkness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Crossworks 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karios/gifts">Karios</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello and thank you for reading this!</p><p>I just want to establish some things about the AU really quick that are probably helpful to understand but aren't explicitly revealed through the course of the story. Most of this is strictly relevant to Ch 3, as Ch's 1 &amp; 2 effectively take place before both show's present-day canons.</p><p>The fic ultimately diverges from Torchwood canon starting with the end of the S2 episode Reset (where Owen dies for the first time). To make things work out, I had to fudge canon years and say Reset (which aired in 2008) happened some time after Forever's finale (2015) because, (as the tags said), Jo and Lucas know Henry is immortal in this. However the development of communication technology reflected in Ch 2 should align with Torchwood-canon dating and Owen's 1980 birth year.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s an old church, possibly abandoned by the looks of it, though probably not. Jack's seen plenty of old churches keep ticking on well past their perceived expiration dates. The moon is nearing its waning crescent phase, and, with his surroundings as dark as they are, Jack can’t tell if it’s really as ramshackle as he thinks it is or if it’s actually just a trick of the light.</p><p>It’s not like the state of the church really matters anyway. All he needs is the street number, just to make sure he’s in the right place. He finds the metal numbers conveniently hammered into the side of the building.</p><p>Jack clicks his flashlight on and sticks it in his mouth, using his lips to aim it at the map. He double-checks the location with the address that Adam had given him over the phone and then turns the flashlight back toward the church one more time, just to make sure he read the numbers properly.</p><p>He’s in the right place.</p><p>Sure enough, when he puts everything away and turns back around, Adam is standing there silently like he’s been there all along and was just waiting for Jack to notice. Jack, for his part, pretends he wasn’t startled by Adam’s sudden appearance.</p><p>"Adam," Jack greets. "Long time no see. Looking good as ever."</p><p>Adam does, in fact, look the same as ever, completely unchanged from the last time Jack had seen him, up to and including his wardrobe, cabbie hat and trench coat included. This time, however, he also has a bundle of blankets in his arms that he’s holding tightly to his chest. Secure, but not loving.</p><p>"Jack Harkness," Adam replies with a curt nod. "You came." He says this as if it were purely an observation. There’s no surprise in his voice, no judgment, no relief, and Jack finds himself almost wishing that there <em>was</em> something there, to just get some emotion out of him. It’s a game he’s played with himself in the past, mostly to no avail.</p><p>"Any time," Jack replies, his quirked smile instinctually turning into his signature smirk.</p><p>Adam blinks at him, completely unaffected.</p><p>Not for the first time, Jack viscerally feels the differences in their ages. Adam’s nearly 2000. Whatever sum of years he has left to get there must feel like a blink of an eye to someone that old. Jack’s not even 200 yet, and, even though the weeks and months have started to blur together for him a little, the years are still distinct, still landmarks he can keep track of. He worries that he’ll become more like Adam with age. He doesn’t want to lose that vigor, that spark, that <em>passion</em> for human life, like Adam has. He still wants to be who he is now when he reaches that second millennium.</p><p><em>If</em>, he corrects. <em>If he reaches that second millennium.</em> Every day brings him closer to the 21st century, closer to the Doctor’s return, and if anyone knows how to fix him, the Doctor surely will.</p><p>"So," Jack continues. "You said you needed my help with something. May I ask what with?"</p><p>Adam nods curtly. "Let’s sit. My explanation may take more than a few minutes."</p><p>There’s a concrete bench on the edge of the sidewalk, facing the road. Adam sits on one end, facing straight forward as if he were alone. Jack sits somewhere closer to the middle, angling his body toward him so that it’ll be easier for him to look at Adam while they talk.</p><p>"I've discovered that it's possible for me to pass on my curse," Adam begins. "Not in any practical sense, mind, but it <em>is</em> possible." He pushes one of the blankets back, revealing the face of a baby.</p><p>Jack's eyebrows shoot up. "You kidnapped a baby?" he asks.</p><p>Adam scowls—a welcome surprise that he <em>can</em> be offended. "No," he corrects. "This baby is my clone, quite shockingly in every way that counts. When I killed it, it disappeared and reappeared in a nearby body of water, just like I do. I've had biological kids before, but they were all mortal."</p><p>"Wait, wait, wait," Jack says, lifting his hands. "You're telling me that you not only succeeded in creating a stable human clone of yourself, but you also killed him—an actual baby—just to see if he was immortal?"</p><p>"I am." Adam dips his head in a slight nod, admitting both things as if he hadn't just simultaneously made medical history and admitted to a great act of cruelty in one breath. "It would be crueler and significantly less efficient to wait for it to grow up before testing my hypothesis, which brings me to you. I don't age, this baby might not either, but my lifestyle isn’t suitable for a baby. You've mentioned that you work with strange technologies before. Is there a way you could keep it in stasis?" </p><p>"We might but—" Jack pauses and tries to measure exactly how immoral leaving the baby-clone with Adam would be. "—it might teach you something about the value of life to carry around a baby for a little bit. He grew in the womb, right? So who's to say he'll stop growing now?"</p><p>Adam looks at Jack like he's said something completely stupid. "Don't be ridiculous."</p><p>"I don’t think it’s ridiculous that the baby might keep growing."</p><p>"I was talking about you suggesting that a baby might teach me about the value of life," Adam says with the face of a man that is too distinctly set in his ways to learn (or relearn) anything new. Not the kind of guy you’d leave unsupervised with a baby.</p><p>"You know what," Jack says after a beat. "You’re right. I think I will take that baby off your hands." He holds his arms out and Adam transfers the infant into them with perhaps a little less than the customary kindness and with absolutely no hesitation.</p><p>Jack adjusts the baby in his arms so that his head is safely supported by the crook of his arm. He looks quite a lot like just any old baby that it’s hard to imagine that he’s Adam’s immortal clone.</p><p>"What’s his name?" Jack asks, giving the baby a little bounce. The baby’s quiet still and doesn’t stir. Maybe Adam’s drugged him.</p><p>Adam frowns. "I haven’t given it one."</p><p>"Well, if I’m going to be responsible for him, then he should have a name," Jack says. "I think it should come from you.</p><p>Adam sighs. "I don’t see why."</p><p>"He’s your child." Jack angles the baby’s face in Adam’s direction, but Adam doesn’t react. He can’t be unaffected, Jack is sure of it. A poker face perfected over the course of nearly two millennia <em>has</em> to be a more plausible explanation.</p><p>Finally, after a moment, Adam’s face gains a pinched expression—<em>haha, got you</em>—and he all but grits out, "Owen."</p><p>"Owen," Jack repeats with a smile turning the baby towards him. "That’s a good name. I like it. So, who’s Owen?"</p><p>"Someone I used to know," Adam replies, his face carefully smoothing back out to neutral.</p><p>"There’s a story there," Jack says, unable to keep the slight tease out of his voice.</p><p>"Not particularly. Just someone who did me a favor once." Adam puts his hand on his knees and pushes himself to his feet.</p><p>Looking down at Jack in the dim light, Jack can see him sliding back into his usual unreadable and imposing presence. The man who blends in. The man whose face betrays no secrets. What must he be like, Jack wonders, when he’s found something to actually be passionate about?</p><p>"Alright," Jack says, accepting Adam’s non-answer for what it is. "I’ll call you. Send you life updates."</p><p>"Don’t," Adam says. He’s already walking down the sidewalk, disappearing into the night.</p><p>Jack grins.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fun fact, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FFForum/posts/how-old-is-captain-jack-harknessin-years-of-age-and-in-relative-yearslets-see-jo/777571249026774/">Jack is actually younger than Henry</a>, at least for the duration of early-ish S2, which is what this fic is concerned about.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="monospaced">You have two new voice messages and one saved message. New message:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>Hey Adam, it’s Jack. Owen’s been growing up strong and healthy. He looks more like you every day, but, like, a version of you with emotions, and not, y'know. Anyway, he’s a very expressive kid. I think he’s about two if I had to take a guess, but, you never did tell me his birthday. He’s getting pretty big now. I’ve been talking to Ariana, and she mentioned that it might be better to place him with a foster family so he can have something closer to a normal childhood. Torchwood just isn’t a very good place for a child to grow up, and, as you know, I don’t have a lot of time outside of it. I’ll still keep an eye on him, of course, just from a distance.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="monospaced">You have one new voice message and one saved message. New message:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>Owen had his first day of school today. He’s a very loving child even if he’s a little clingy, cried when his mom told him she had to leave. I wonder if he got some of that from you, before you got all angsty. I think it’s good for him that his heart is so big. He—ah looks like I’ve got a call on the other line. I’ll try to call you again later.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span class="monospaced">You have three new voice messages and one saved message. New message:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>Hey it's Jack. Long time, no hear. Got your message about the new phone number. Thanks. And, hey, Happy Father's Day! Owen made a Father's Day card at school today. I managed to get a photograph of it printed, and I snuck it into your stash by the bridge. You know the one. The one I'm not supposed to know about. Anyways, I know he didn't make it <em>for</em> you, but I thought it would be nice. You know how fast they grow up.</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p></p><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">From: Jack</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">owen left home, trouble w mom. will call 2 explain l8r<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(arrived 15:23)</span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">From: Jack</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">hes fine tho dw<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(arrived 15:23)</span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">Adam</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">What does l8r mean?<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(sent 15:26)</span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">Adam</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">Why did you decline my call?<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(sent 15:27)</span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">From: Jack</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">busy ;(<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(sent 15:48)</span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><hr/>
<p></p><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">From: Jack</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">Owens decided to become a surgeon! You should b proud!<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(sent 21:27)</span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">From: Jack</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">Id throw a party but he doesnt know i exist ;’(<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(sent 21:28)</span></span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><hr/>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">🡐 JH</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="received">Your son found out about the aliens, decided to recruit him to TW to keep him close. Still doesnt know abt his condition.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="received">Surprised you havent called me yet. Everything ok over there?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="received">Hello?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="received">Anyways we needed a medic and figured itll be easier to watch him that way</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><hr/>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">🡐 JH</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="sent">Sorry for the absence.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="sent">Found evidence of another immortal like me.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="received">Oh, evidence?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="received">Adam?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="received">Hey u don't have to ghost me</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="sent">I don't know what that means.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="sent">Trail went cold.</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><hr/>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Used this <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/6434845">guide</a> for the text message formatting! Mostly I just took what was there as a base, stripped it down a little, and tweaked it to my standards (for both text formats!), so the credit goes there and definitely check it out if that's something you're interested in! No knowledge of CSS is really required!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="monospaced">You have seven new messages and one saved message. New message:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>Adam, why aren’t you picking up? I’ve called you multiple times now, no response. Did you lose your phone again? Call me as soon as you get this. Something happened. Owen knows. I’ll text you just in case you’re trying to be quiet or something.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>Adam's phone vibrates on Henry's desk, and Henry frowns, putting down the paperwork that he's been slowly filling out by hand. He picks up the evidence bag that he's stored Adam's phone in and looks at the phone carefully before breaking the ziploc seal and turning the bag upsidedown to deposit the phone into his hand.</p><p>The screen reads: <span class="monospaced">1 new message</span>.</p><p>It takes Henry a few tries to open the message. Why would anyone ever design these digital interfaces so unintuitively? Or assign multiple functions to singular buttons? Perhaps it would come easier with time, but Henry was perfectly content to use phones for speaking as they were originally designed, thank you very much. Henry presses the OK button while on the text-message selection window, loading the message onto the tiny screen.</p>
<p></p><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">From: Jack</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">Your son knows hes immortal. Died on a mission. Had a hell of a time</span><br/>
</p>
</div><p>The message cuts off at the bottom of the screen and Henry's brows furrow before he remembers the directional arrows at the top of the keypad. He presses the down button until he can see the rest of the message.</p>
<p></p><div class="old-phone">
  <p class="old-messagebody">
<span class="old-header">From: Jack</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="old-text">tracking him down after. Call me asap. Or just come to Cardiff.<br/>
<span class="small"><span class="small">(arrived 17:32)</span></span></span><br/>
</p>
</div><p>Henry's brain swims with all the new information this text reveals, first, of course, that Adam has a <em>son</em>, and an <em>immortal</em> son at that. And then, perhaps even more importantly, <em>there was another immortal out there.</em></p><p>Henry's never had a biological child of his own, but he'd often wondered if his immortality could be inherited. He'd always found the concept unlikely, characterizing his immortality as something imbued upon him on that fateful night instead of it being something he'd already had at birth. And, of course, there was always the aging. If Henry himself was unable to age, would an immortal baby remain an infant forever?</p><p>If the process of becoming immortal <em>had</em> altered his genetic coding though... Perhaps with new gene therapy technologies, immortality could be transferred, but also, more importantly, removed.</p><p>But, if immortality was at least quite feasibly inherited, why, then, would Adam be so obsessed with Henry? Wouldn't another immortal who apparently hadn't even realized he was immortal yet make a sweeter target for Adam's particular brand of torture?</p><p>The text asked far more questions than it answered, and failed to paint a clear picture of anything, really. On top of that, it was simply extremely difficult to imagine Adam as a father. <em>Sure</em> he cared about things but...</p><p>Maybe Adam's other texts would reveal more information. Henry picks up the phone and brings it closer to his face to look for anything resembling a back button. Ah, there it—</p><p>"Hey, Doc do you know where—oh!" Lucas barges into the office sideways, holding his clipboard up, his finger keeping track of the location of some relevant piece of information. His eyes catch ahold of the phone in Henry's hand. "Hey! Glad to see you're finally joining the modern age! What's your phone number? I'll add you as a conta—"</p><p>"It's not mine," Henry says, putting the cell phone back onto the desk. "It's Adam's. He received a text."</p><p>"Oh?" Lucas asks. "Anything interesting?"</p><p>"Yes, actually," Henry says, and then opens his mouth to elaborate when a plan starts to formulate in his head. If he wants to learn more about Adam, then this "Jack" will probably have many of the answers that he's looking for. Plus, he wouldn't want to pass up on the chance to meet another, less Adam-like immortal and perhaps even help him adjust to his new reality. "Lucas, could you go fetch Jo for me? I have a proposition that I would like the both of you to consider."</p><p>"Sure, boss," Lucas says. "I'll be right back." He sets down his clipboard on the edge of the desk, and, with a jaunty little wave, he jogs out the room.</p><p>There's quite a bit to sort out if he wants to make this plan a reality. He's got the documents, sure, is still technically considered a citizen of the United Kingdom, but Jo and Lucas certainly aren't. If either one of them doesn't have a current passport, that could delay matters considerably, and, in this particular situation, Henry rather feels that time is of the essence. And then, of course, he'll have to ask Abe to arrange both airfare and lodging, contingent, of course, on Jo's and Lucas' responses. It was a pity that one needed the internet to do such things nowadays. It made it difficult for him to handle these matters on his own. He supposes he must adapt at some point, but he knows he'll put it off for as long as possible.</p><p>And then there's Wales itself. He'd been quite keen on avoiding his homeland after everything that had happened with Nora, but now that such a long time has passed... Henry misses it, even though he's sure it's been radically transformed in his absence. Regardless, it would be nice to see it again.</p><p>Henry is pulled out of his thoughts when the door to his office opens again, this time with Jo leading the way.</p><p>"Hey, Henry," she says, her usual amused smile lighting up her face. "Lucas said you wanted to talk to us?"</p><p>"Yes," Henry says, standing up and smoothing out his suit jacket. Spreading out his arms in an invitational gesture, he continues, "Jo, Lucas, how would you like to go to Wales?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ioan is Welsh and there's nothing in canon that outright states that he <em>isn't</em> from Wales...</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Honestly, I would have loved to explore the Henry, Jo, Lucas + Torchwood team dynamic, but I couldn't think of a way to pull it off and conclude it neatly. :( I didn't want to force it, so I'm hoping the thought of all the potential outcomes is entertaining in its own right!</p><p>Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>